The Delta
by Star-Of-Hearts
Summary: Elizabeth Blake was saved by Merlin. But what is so wrong that she's turning to Balthazar and Dave in her moment of need? What is she running so desperately from? Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sorcerer's Apprentice. Oddly enough if I did, I probably would still be doing this. **

**A/N: So this is my first fan fiction on not just this story but on anything not Harry Potter like in a really long time. So I think I did it right. The chapter is quite a bit shorter than I wanted it to be. But there's not much to this chapter in the first place. The next one will be even longer I promise. So, please enjoy and review!  
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Chapter One

Visitors

Dave nervously ran a brush through his uncompromising hair. Today was a big day, and Dave had no idea how he was going to get through it. He and Becky had been dating for a year and a half. They lived together and had talked quite a bit about marriage the last three months. Dave knew it was time to finally pop the question, the only problem; he hadn't even asked the girl out really! He just kissed after fighting Morgana and... she was his girlfriend. He was so nervous. He had reservations at a beautiful and expensive restaurant and the most amazing ring picked out. It was two silver bands intertwined with each other, one had sapphires embedded into it, the other, aquamarine stones. In the middle where the two bands met, was a shimmering diamond.

Dave knew she would love it, and truly hoped he would know when the opportune moment came to propose. He was so nervous. He looked at his bull dog, Hank. "This is probably the biggest day of my life. And you're sitting there licking up cheese that's been there for months. Whats wrong with you?" Dave shook his head and walked away. He wasn't going to be able to stand still. Things were just happening so fast. He didn't feel like he was rushing into things at all, he loved Becky with all his heart, and couldn't wait for tonight. But something felt weird about tonight. He wanted it to be perfect, and his anxious habits were getting the best of him. He paced the floor of his laboratory and tried to use a calming method he had found useful during high school. He tried to recall all of the elements on the Periodic Table.

"Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorous, Sulfur, Chloride, Argon, Potassium..." He was then interrupted by his lab door banging open and close and furious footsteps flying down the stairs. It was Balthazar unhappy about something. He had been searching for a few weeks now on something he had found in Merlin's notes.

Flashback

_Balthazar was searching for something he had saved for Veronica. He was flipping through his notes and found something in Merlin's handwriting. Balthazar took one look at it and called for Dave. This was something that needed to be shared. "Dave, here in Merlin's notes, it says that Delta shall come before the Prime and be a precursor as to what will come. And will warn whosoever will train him that he is coming. But there was no Delta. There was only the Prime, you. There is something wrong with whoever Merlin assigned the Delta to." He said hurriedly, and excitedly. Something about this excited Balthazar and he wanted to find everything out about it that he could. _

"_Wait, what's the Delta?" Dave asked, looking at Merlin's notes. He was unsure of what to do with this information. Did this mean he wasn't he Prime Merlinean? Or was he something else? Dave read the notes, and tried to think of anything that would help this new discovery. He couldn't understand anything about the Delta, whatever that was. And Balthazar brushed away his question as if he hadn't said anything at all._

"_Never you mind. I just thought it would be interesting for you to know. That means that out there is someone with as great powers as you, and they are biding their time, waiting for a moment when you're at your weakest. I suggest you be careful, Dave. Never let your guard down until we're sure where and who the Delta is." Balthazar said before disappearing out of the lab. _

"_But what is the Delta?" Dave asked as Balthazar slammed the door shut._

Dave watched Balthazar flip through page after page of Merlin's notes and his own spell books. Something was getting him all frustrated. Dave asked what he was looking for and all he got in reply was that he was looking for a journal of Merlin's that he desperately needed to look at. He said that it contained something about a girl he had cured and possibly something about the Delta. Dave shrugged and continued pacing the floor, until he realized he had only an hour until the reservations and his date with Becky. He ran to the bedroom to pick out the perfect outfit. He wanted to look just right when he proposed.

He shuffled through his closet when he heard the lab doors slam again. Balthazar had left without finding what he needed to have found. He was angry. Dave didn't get it. Balthazar had been looking for this thing ever since he had read about the Delta, he had been researching and looking non stop for whoever the Delta might be. Dave was still confused on what it was. Balthazar had failed to mention that the past few months. Dave found what he was looking for. A nice dress shirt and some black slacks and a tie that made the outfit seem nearly casual but adorable at the same time.

He grabbed the small red box from out of one of his drawers and pushed it into his pocket. He left the lab, and made sure it was as locked. He got in his car (it was really Balthazar's but he was borrowing it for the night.) He may or may not have used a bit of sorcery to change the car into something a bit more appropriate for tonight, and drove slowly to pick up Becky from her job. She was already dressed nicely, having brought her clothes and make up with her. Dave drove to the restaurant and everything seemed to be going just fine.

The restaurant was amazing and the service was impeccable. There was nothing wrong with this night. Their drinks came, their talk was nice and pleasant and Dave was able to maneuver it so that they were talking comfortably about their future. He and Becky found it interesting how they liked to imagine the future before it happened. Dave liked to know what he was going to name his kids before he even had them, Becky liked to muse about their names. So they talked of marriage, what they would do if they were married, how they would act, what their wedding would be like. Dave decided it was time. He stood up and moved over next to Becky, who looked utterly confused. He pulled the tiny red box from his pocket. And she gasped.

"Becky, we've been together for a year and a half. We've talked about things people years ahead of us don't dare talk of. I'm not much of a ladies' man but I'm pretty sure that when a guy loves a girl as much as I love you, then it's high time to seal the deal and tie the knot. I love you Becky, I really do. Will you marry me?" Dave asked as he opened the little red box, showing the ring to Becky. The glow in her eyes told him she loved it. He could feel the gaze of a few people at the restaurant, apparently watching someone propose is quite uncommon. Becky looked at Dave with a look of total happiness and nodded twice before leaping into his arms. A few people clapped at the newly engaged couple, and Dave nervously slid the ring onto her finger, where it would hopefully stay for as long as he'd remember.

Dinner finished all too quickly, their food was delicious and the dessert couldn't have been avoided. Dave paid for the meal and took his love out to their awaiting car, to go home and possibly have some guilty pleasures of their own. They were back at the lab/ apartment before they realized it and were wrapped in a passionate embrace trying to unlock the door. They nearly tripped down the stairs and over a few wires before they made it safely to their bedroom. They turned on the lights and were about to fall onto the bed, when they noticed there was something in their bed. Dave stopped first, noticing how the lump or whatever it was was moving. He prodded it and when it was unresponsive, he threw back the covers to reveal a young woman with dark brown hair sleeping restlessly on their bed.

"Umm, excuse me, who are you?" Dave asked shaking the girl awake. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she smiled weakly before starting a coughing fit. She curled into a tiny ball as the coughs wracked her body and disrupted her whole system. When she was finally able to breathe again, she looked at Dave with watery green eyes and whispered, "Get Balthazar." She fell back asleep, or unconscious more like it, and was yet again unresponsive. Dave looked at Becky who reached for the phone and dialed his number immediately. Obviously Balthazar had quite a bit of explaining to do.

**Review... please? It'll make me update faster.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright so review! This took me a while cause i had no idea how to go on with this chapter. Next Chapter is almost done and I plan on writing more chapters while I'm up in Big Bear and i hope that when i get back and check my email I'll have like twenty review alerts! Jk, more like 5... :D Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, or whatever you celebrate! :) Enjoy!**

Chapter Two

Elizabeth

She was still unconscious on Dave's bed, and he had no idea what to do with her. She had asked for Balthazar and he was still on his way. Dave looked at the girl quietly breathing on his bed, then at his fiancée standing beside him. She of course knew everything to do with sorcery. Dave wasn't going to keep her in the dark, she would hate him for it. And then he'd be worse off. She seemed almost familiar though. Something about her... it was like he had seen her before. Dave heard the clang of the door, Balthazar was here.

Dave ran out to meet him, knowing he'd probably want to know what happened before he walked in. Becky hadn't really specified the problem. She didn't want him to be too distracted as he made his way over here. He seemed to have troubles driving and thinking.

Dave began talking, filling Balthazar in on what had happened. "Balthazar! Finally, ok so she was just laying there on my bed when we got home from dinner-"

"Where Dave asked me to marry him!" Becky nearly screamed. Balthazar looked at her and gave her his sort of half smile before turning back to Dave. Waiting for him to finish his story. Dave had this huge grin on his face and continued his story.

"Well she was just laying here and when we tried to wake her up, she coughed a whole bunch and then asked for you then fell back unconscious. We couldn't wake her up again and our only lead was you. So, do you know anything about this?" Dave asked leading Balthazar into his bedroom. Balthazar looked curious, probably about who this young woman was. Balthazar went to the side of the bed she currently resided on and looked at her face. Then gasped and called Veronica over. They whispered back and forth to each other for a bit while Dave and Becky watched extremely confused.

"This is Elizabeth. She was a young woman who Merlin cured of a dangerous disease centuries ago. When he cured her she harvested powers and became a pretty powerful sorceress. She was on our side, but she disappeared around the time Morgana started wreaking havoc. Merlin wasn't concerned with Elizabeth's disappearance, probably too busy with Morgana but either way, she disappeared and I haven't seen her since." Balthazar said after awhile. He looked down at Elizabeth, his eyes clouded with something, his face unreadable. Dave wasn't sure what Balthazar was thinking, he was very guarded right now.

Balthazar walked out of the room and grabbed Dave's Encantus. Flipping through it, he kept muttering stuff about what Merlin wanted, what he possibly said to her. Dave was so confused and just watched Balthazar from his bedroom door as he flipped through the large book. Finally he cried out as he found what he was looking for.

"Sometimes when a wizard cures a disease some of his power is transferred into the body of whoever he cures. Like the thread a shirt, Merlin's magic is woven into her body. But I have a feeling that once you came along, Dave, the magic got disrupted and started unraveling. When she received those powers by accident, something happened. She got more power than she thought she would ever get. She is what I've been searching for! She is the Delta! I'm not sure what that means exactly, but this explains quite a bit. You see, the Delta was supposed to come before you, Dave. They were supposed to warn me about your coming so that I wouldn't be surprised. One problem was that I had no idea she existed, well at least no idea that she was the Delta and what the Delta was supposed to do. Merlin never told me. So I was never waiting for her. The other problem was she also is an Oracle. The girl herself was the Oracle and Merlin came to her for help. I have a feeling that when Merlin disappeared she went off to Delphi, where all the Oracles must eventually make pilgrimage. So thats where she disappeared to!" Balthazar cried out explaining nearly everything to Dave.

"But why was she gone for centuries Balthazar? Most pilgrimages, even for Oracles only last half a century at the most. Why did it take so long for Elizabeth?" Veronica asked, touching Balthazar's arm. He considered it for a moment, unsure of how to answer. Everyone could see hikm trying to figure it out. He had pretty much guessed on everything up to this point, and so far it had made quite a bit of sense. But right now, his guess was as good as anyone's.

"Maybe she didn't know she was the Delta. Perhaps she didn't understand and told someone else the coming of the Prime Merlinean and was unsure of who she was supposed to tell. I have a feeling Merlin didn't know she was supposed to be the Delta. In his notes, it made it seem as if Merlin was going to tell someone their duties, and pass on his wisdom to them. Almost like an apprentice, but different. But he never got the chance mainly because he died before he thought he was going to. So she didn't understand what she really was, and she was trying to understand what all her visions were. And why she had this magic ability." Balthazar explained looking triumphant. It made no sense to Dave, but what difference did it make. Either way there was still a girl he didn't know in his bed, and his fiancée was looking really nice in her dress and these two together made Dave a very unhappy person.

"Ok, so how do we get her out of my bed?" Dave asked. Cause even if he and Becky weren't gonna fool around, he would like to actually sleep in his bed. Balthazar looked at Dave with that look. The look that made Dave want to roll his eyes and apologize. The look that meant, 'how can you be so insensitive?'

Dave just stared back at Balthazar not giving in to his pitiful stare. Balthazar shrugged his shoulders but then muttered some stuff and Elizabeth levitated off the bed. "You! Couch." Balthazar instructed to Dave. Dave ran into the main room and magicked a couch for the levitating girl. Balthazar made her land softly on the couch. "Thank you Dave for this discovery. Good night you two." And with that, Dave and Becky were herded into their room and the door closed behind them. Dave gave one look at Becky and she smiled, and Dave knew the magic from the proposal was still there.

The Next Day

Dave woke up in a good mood. He was now engaged to a beautiful woman, was a sorcerer and lived in a large apartment he hadn't even paid for. He walked out of his bedroom to go make some breakfast for his beautiful bride to be and just as he shut the door behind him to go make said breakfast, remembered that he had company and ran back inside his room to find clothes. He peeked out from behind the door once, and saw that Elizabeth was there, sleeping on the couch, not moving. He sneaked out into the kitchen-ish area to make breakfast. She still didn't stir. He then decided she wasn't going to wake up.

He put on the eggs, and some bacon and of course a few pancakes, he was whistling a funny tune and dancing a little in his underwear. After putting everything on a plate he turned around to bring all these wonderful food to his bride, only to find that Elizabeth, was no longer asleep on the couch. There wasn't a couch for her to be asleep on. Dave tip toed over to the bedroom, opened the door stealthily and closed the door even more quietly. He then locked the door, set the food down and called Balthazar.

"We have a slight problem. Elizabeth is no longer sleeping in the center of my apartment. The couch isn't there anymore. I don't know how powerful she is, but she's had centuries of magic practicing and I've had a year or two. So please come over and help me. Mainly because I have no idea where she is!" Dave whispered fiercely, freaking out into the phone. He could hear Balthazar sighing on the other end of the receiver.

"Dave, did you think to look in the bathroom?" Balthazar asked as if talking to a 6 year old.

"No! I was more concerned with the fact that there is a powerful sorceress roaming around my apartment when my sleeping fiancée is in the next room! I did not check the bathroom!" Dave nearly yelled into the phone.

"He's freaking out... Well what do I say to him? I can't very well... Fine. No I'm driving just fine while talking with him. No don't you..." He had obviously been talking to Veronica and driving when Dave had called. "Dave, we'll be over in a few moments. I have a feeling you are locked inside your bedroom with a hot plate of breakfast?" Veronica said smoothly over the phone. She had apparently been unhappy with Balthazar's driving skills and had taken the phone away. Dave could still hear Balthazar muttering angrily in the background.

"Yes." Dave muttered simply. She laughed, said goodbye and hung up the phone. This was going to be an interesting day.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Alright so i did not end up writing up in big bear and it took us five hours to get up, and another six to get down two days later... when normally it takes just under 3 hours. :( So this is what i have, i think it turned out perfect. I am not writing this ahead of time like my other story, however, its working out just fine cause i know how this is going to turn out and i can write these chapters on the fly without having to worry about contingency. its a lot easier with contingency when your not au-ing as much. SO REVIEW! :)  
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Chapter Three

The Delta

Dave peeked out of the door and found dark blue eyes staring at him through the crack. He screamed and jumped back about ten feet. The door opened slowly and a small girl stood against the wall, peering into the room innocently. She looked so young, and so lost. She was thin and pale and Dave nearly felt sorry for her, for whatever was happening to her. She looked at the food Dave had just cooked and licked her lips then looked at Dave and shrunk back against the wall. She was afraid of him.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you. Here, have these. They're called eggs. I have a feeling you've never had them before. Wait, are you vegetarian?" Dave asked before handing her the plate. He knew some people were and he didn't want to freak her out or make her scared of him anymore than she already was. She looked confused at what he was asking, as if she didn't understand what he was saying.

"Do you eat meat?" He asked, going for a different approach. She nodded and her eyes lit up as he mentioned it. She was hungry beyond comparison. He handed her the plate and she scarfed down the eggs very hungrily. Dave looked over at Becky who was sitting up in bed and watching what was going on with the young girl. She seemed like she wanted a little daughter of her own. Even though Elizabeth was nearly 18 it seemed, she seemed to be very childish at times. According to Balthazar, most of her childhood had been filled with dark things and sorcery. So she would always be a little childish, probably just holding onto a small piece of innocence when everything else was dark and twisted.

Dave thought about his own childhood. To be honest, it hadn't been all that innocent and happy. His father had left long before Dave had come into the world, and his mother had so much to do, what with two jobs and a son to take care of. Dave grew up pretty quickly. He looked at the girl sitting there and wondered what her side of the story was. He wanted to know what disease she had suffered from. He wanted to know how she knew Merlin, and what connected her to Balthazar. But all he could do right now was sit and watch her eat, and recover.

When she was done eating, Becky set her up with something to wear so she wasn't walking around in the dark brown frock she had been wearing previously. They sat her down at the table and began asking her questions, stalling time until Balthazar and Veronica got there. She seemed kind of odd. Like she wasn't sure about anything. She kept looking around as if she was in some strange place. Dave couldn't help but notice that she looked vaguely familiar. She seemed to have this... thing about her, about the way she talked, the way she looked, that was just... so familiar. Becky seemed to notice it too as she was staring quite strangely at Elizabeth.

"Do you know what year it is?" Dave asked her, hoping she would have a little understanding of how long she had been living. She looked at him and thought about it.

"I know that the last year I remember is definitely not the year that it is. All of this, its much too advanced and alien for anything close to where I came from. But the last year I remember is 1894. I was up in Asia, I was hoping to train with the Shaolin monks. They seem to have the right view on life. They told me I needed to meditate, spend as much time as I could going over my life, and meditating on what my destiny and path in this world was. I woke up maybe... 21 years ago? One name was on my mind, but I left it alone and traveled to Delphi. The name was David. David Stutler. I fear that though I may have over looked the presence of his name in my mind years ago, I feel that it is slightly important now. I should not have shrugged it off as I had." She said looking around the room, probably pondering and guessing at what these strange contraptions might be.

For awhile it seemed as if Dave was frozen. Absolutely and completely frozen. She was the Delta. Whatever the Delta was, he didn't know. Maybe she did...

"Do you know about something called a Delta?" Dave asked anxious to finally get some answers to that question. She nodded but still seemed very unsure of the answer she was about to give.

"I assume that I am the Delta. I have discovered a link in my mind that connects me to Merlin. He told me of what I was to do, told me what I would mean to humanity. I would prove a hope, a beacon of innocence and purity in times of darkness. But it was too late for me to save anyone or be anything when Merlin finally came to me in my meditations. The Delta is a great responsibility. And even he himself did not mean to bestow it upon me. He... was unaware of the powers he had transferred to me." She said looking straight down at the floor. She still hadn't answered all of his questions.

The door opened and in came Balthazar, quickly followed by Veronica. After one glance around the room, he ran straight over to Elizabeth and took her up in a big hug. Dave knew that Balthazar and Elizabeth had known each other, but he hadn't quite understand the extent of their relationship.

Elizabeth stepped away from Balthazar and spoke in some old language, and Balthazar seemed to understand it and responded. For a few minutes, Balthazar, Elizabeth and Veronica shared a few words in this unknown language before turning back to English and allowing Becky and Dave into their conversation.

"So I take it you were all friends back in the olden days?" Dave asked looking from Elizabeth to Balthazar. He thought he saw something quite similar between the two, but they had lived in that whole medieval time, there might have been some traits then that were passed around a bit.

"You could say that. Balthazar never went anywhere without Elizabeth when Merlin first took him as an apprentice. You see..." But Veronica was shortly cut off by Balthazar who stated they had more important things to discuss then the old days. They moved on to making sure Elizabeth was healthy. After being through centuries upon centuries of different time periods and medical break throughs, Balthazar knew his way around Gray's Anatomy (The book, not the series). He did a few tests on Elizabeth, before getting an annoyed response from her which quickly ended his survey. However she looked slightly weak and Balthazar suggest she get more sleep.

"Dave if you have any questions for her still, I suggest you ask them before she goes to sleep again." Balthazar said watching Elizabeth carefully.

"What exactly is the Delta?" He asked, hopeful that she had more information. She looked up at him with a questioning look, but seemed to understand what he meant.

"The Delta? Well you are something called the Prime Merlinean. You have all the power Merlin had, you're his descendant, and you can hold power without that ring of yours. While all other sorcerer's must be wearing that ring, or must use that ring to channel the power, you have no need of it. I am the Delta, I have all the powers of Merlin, and I have no use of the ring either. The only difference between you and me, is your power does not wear you out. If I use my powers for too long, I grow weak. You can use it as long as you like, and be fine. In a battle between the two of us, I would surely lose if it lasted long enough." She said looking Dave in the eyes. "To be exact, I am the Delta Merlinean."


End file.
